*first born

I'm really loving the stage Vera is in.  We had an extremely rough patch there back in August - I thought a grumbling, stomping, screaming b-r-a-t with a stinky attitude had come to stay.  I literally thought we were done - our child had already become a teenager and a very difficult one at that.  Thankfully it passed - as all these phases do.  She's not without her problems now, but she's calmed down and is growing.  "I love to clean up!" and "I don't have fits anymore ever" are her favorite things to declare - we've talked a lot about showing these things instead of just saying them :)  We've always talked a lot about behavior and about how you show God that you love Him and are thankful for what He does.  The other day we played that game in the car, naming things to see if they show love or not - she's a pretty smart little girl.  Who's as stubborn as I was :)  

ANYway.  I love this stage now where she still has that playful, creative silliness. She's not embarrassed and has never thought something was too "babyish" to play.  Jenny and I were talking, wondering when that starts... 5 or 6? 

She always has "ideas!"  Here she tied a little boat behind the mouse to pull some animals in, pulled both her superhero and sleeping mask over her eyes and scooted off.

finishing her cards for the candycane playdough we made for our neighbors:

her performance of "the queen of the snowflake."  I wish I could have tape recorded our bedtime conversation with her still in character, it was incredibly ridiculous.

She kept looking for Chip and Dale in the Christmas tree [you've seen the old short of them in Donald Duck's tree??]. She was sure she'd found their little home in there.

                                              

    she is such a good big sister!